Improvement in air compressors or blowers



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AUNITED STAT-Es PATENT OEEIcE.

LORENZOVCHASE, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS i RIGHT TOCHARLES W; OAHOON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN AIR COMPRESSORS OR BLOWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0.y 151.753, dated June 9,1874; application filed May 4, 1874.

To alt/whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZO CHASE, of Portland, in the county ofCumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Air Compressors `or Blowers; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,which will enable others skilled y in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsand to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

Figure l is a vertical section of my invention. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 aredetail views.

Same letters show like parts.

My invention constitutes an improvement in air compressors or blowers,having reference to that class which has double alternating-actingchambers. Its object is to allow the steam, after having compressed theair in one chamber, tobe expanded into the other, and admitting newsteam of higher pressure .in addition thereto, until the requisitepressure is reached, thus greatly economizing the use of the steam.. Italso consists, in addition to the above, in allowing the steam beyondatmospheric pressure to escape before furnishing the water for producingthe vacuum for the supply of the air, and in the supply and discharge ofthe water for the purpose, thereby saving water and power. This is allbrought about by a few simple changes in the vsteam-chest and valve, andin their operation,

these chambers, having a pipe, a, entering it, which leads downward to abox, d, which has a check-valve opening inwardly. A side view of thistank, with its connections, is shown in Fig. 4. Another pipe, k, leadsfrom the bottom of this tank into apipe, L, the latter having branches,one of which leads into chamber No. 1, the other to chambei` No. 2. Eachbranch has a conical end with sprayingnozzle, and a check-valve, y. Thesides ot' these cones extend beyond the valves, so as to prevent thewater from striking the sides of the chambers as it enters. In this pipeL are two cocks, l? l?, which are connected, so as to operate together,by a long rod. These cocks may be used for the purpose of checks in caseof there being too low a pressure in the chambers to close the valves yagainst the water. l is the steam-chest, and M the steamvalve. w is aport in thevalve. A, B, C, D, and E are steam-ports in the chest, thelatter being the exhaust. :v is a check-valve to the exhaust-port E,opening outwardly. F and G are separate compartments, to which the portsA, B, C, and D lead, and H H are pipes leading from these compartmentsinto the chambers l and 2, curving upward after entering the same. m isthe steam-pipe for supplying the steam-chest from the boiler.

Having thus explained the object and construction of my invention, Iwill now proceedto describe its operation.

The steam-port A, Fig. l, being open, steam passes from the steam-chestl into the compartment F, and from thence through the pipe H into thecompressor No. 1, and, striking against the top of the same, forces theair downward through the compressor, and, through the pipe I at thebottom, into the airreservoir K. From thence it passes through the pipeO into the water, for the propulsion of vessels, or for other blowingpurposes. The steam-valve M then shuts o the port A, as in Fig. 2, andplaces the ports B and C in connection through the port w in the valve,so that the steam in chamber No. l will be expanded into No. 2. Thesteamvalve, then, continuing its course in the same direction, opens theport D, as in Fig. 3, and lets new steam of higher pressure from thesteam-chest into No. 2 in addition to that which it had previouslyreceived from No.' l. This brings up the pressure in the No. 2 chamberto the requirement-s of the work, and places the ports A and E inconnection, which exhausts the remaining pressure vfrom INO. l. Afterthe pressure has thus been exhausted, the weight of the water in thetank z will open the valve y in the pipe L, and will cause it (thewater) to iiow in upon and condense the remaining steam, therebycrea-ting a vacuum and drawing the outside air through the valve N tolill the chamber again for further action. The check-valve 'm preventsthe returnl of steam during Vthe vacuum, and the steamvalve M rests atthe end .of each stroke, so as to give time for the steam to condense,and for the entrance of the air. The same process is repeated in chamberNo. 2, each chamber working alternately, and compressing the air in thereservoir K, opening and closing the valves 7L h as thep'ressurealternates in the chambers. Vhen the water is drawn from the tank z, avacuum is created therein, which draws up an additional supply lthroughthe pipe a from a well outside. lBefore commencing to operate, the tankz and pipe a above the Valve t' should be filled with water through thepipe c, which has a cock, a, to shut it air` tight after being lled. Incase the automatic supply of water shouldl not be used, Athe tank z maybe supplied by a force-pump, 'the cocks P B regulating the supply tokthe chambers, and in case the pressure of ysteam should not be let oft'from the chambers before the water for condensation was furnished, theport E may be dispensed with or closed up, which, when itissimplydesired to blow the air without anyfv'ery materialforce, may bedone without much disadvantage. The steam- Valve may be operated by arocker-arm connected with la steam-engine, moving in the link at the endvof the valve-stem, and the cocks P I?, by cam motion, connecting withthe rod attached to the handle of the same. X, Y, and Z show enlargeddet-ail views, in section., of the conical nozzles and check-valves y.Fig. 5 shows a detail View of the exhaustport and its check-valve fr. ,Y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combinationvof the ports A and D with the ports B and C, and with orwithout the port E, operating in conjunction with the steam-valve M anditsport w, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. A

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownv I affix my signature'in Apresence of two witnesses.

LORENZO CHASE.

